ANAHEIM – Opening Day might be a point of no return for the Angels and closer Francisco Rodriguez, but neither side is willing to say so at this point.

Rodriguez can become a free agent after this season and has made it known he expects to test the market. In the meantime, he and his agent say they are not interested in having negotiations for a contract extension with the Angels be an ongoing endeavor once the season has starts.

“Right now, we’ll wait it out until the season is over,” said Paul Kinzer, Rodriguez’s agent.

“Normally, I don’t like to do that (negotiate during the season). It’s tough on the player.”

But Kinzer said he has “absolutely not” given the Angels a deadline or ultimatum to sign Rodriguez before the season starts or watch him leave as a free agent next fall.

Rodriguez conceded Saturday that seems to be the likely outcome.

“Everything’s headed that way,” he said. “But there’s going to be six long months of the season and I can’t predict what’s going to happen in one week or one month or six months.”

Angels general manager Tony Reagins said the team is “always open to dialogue” on a contract extension, but gave no indication the team’s offer would change from the ones rejected by Rodriguez and his agent last fall or that he intended to re-open negotiations. The Angels’ best offer was for $34 million over three years.

Reagins said the team’s stance has not changed regarding the option of trading Rodriguez at some point this season rather than risk losing him to free agency with only a draft pick as compensation.

“No. Right now, Frankie is an important part of our team,” Reagins said. “The fact that his contract expires at the end of the season and he can become a free agent doesn’t mean we have to trade him any more than any other player whose contract expires at the end of a season.”

Rodriguez’s leverage on the open market improved this week when the Minnesota Twins agreed to a four-year, $47 million contract extension with closer Joe Nathan. Rodriguez, who is at 26 is seven years younger than Nathan, is now the only elite closer likely to be available this winter.

“That’s a good deal for him. He deserved it,” Rodriguez said.

“The market for Frankie is pretty much established,” Kinzer said. “I think it (Nathan’s contract) just helps reinforce the market.”

Moseley to start

Dustin Moseley will be the fifth starter in the rotation, Manager Mike Scioscia said Saturday.

Moseley was the favorite to win the spot, but Scioscia wanted to see how the young pitcher came out of a seven-inning stint Friday.

“I think Mose is a guy that has done it before, has the ability to do it, and he’s right now throwing the ball very well,” Scioscia said.

Moseley entered spring camp with hopes of earning a spot in the bullpen. When an injury to John Lackey and a delay in the return of Kelvim Escobar surfaced, Moseley was forced to change gears.

Going from the bullpen to a starting role isn’t new to Moseley. Of his 46 appearances for the Angels last season, eight were as a starting pitcher. He expects to move back into the bullpen once Lackey returns.

“Last year was a little difficult but after doing it last year, I think it will be a lot easier for me,” Moseley said. “For me, it’s just the difference in routines of getting prepared for a start or getting prepared for the bullpen. Now that I’ve done it before, it’ll be an easy transition for me.”

Nick Adenhart, the other pitcher thought to be in the running to become the fifth starter, will begin the season in triple-A Salt Lake City.

Matthews progressing

Gary Matthews Jr. tested his sprained right ankle before Saturday’s game by going through all of the usual pregame drills.

Though he wasn’t in the lineup for the Angels’ exhibition finale against the Padres, there is a good chance he will be there when the Angels open the season in Minnesota on Monday.

“There is a little bit of soreness, but BP went really well,” Matthews said. “Hopefully it will continue to get better in the next two days.”

Bill Plunkett has covered everything from rodeo to Super Bowls to boxing (yeah, I was there the night Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear off) during a career that started far too long ago to mention and eventually brought him to the OC some time last century (1999 actually). He has been covering Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register since 2003, spending time on both the Angels and Dodgers beats.

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